Sterk approaches her subject with a sense of mental play, letting the concept of autumn guide the arrangement of simplified forms. By stripping the leaf down to its essential geometry, she creates a visual language where nature’s nuances are expressed through overlapping planes and a medley of shapes.

The work functions as an exploration of memory and observation, capturing the feeling of leaves on the mind rather than a literal representation of a forest floor. This collage-like illustration uses modern design principles to organize the natural world into a balanced, portrait-oriented composition.